Friday, July 29, 2016

Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: TheSudburyStar.comA pair of Sudbury researchers has been chosen to present its findings at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2016 in Toronto this week.Kristen Jacklin, of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and Melissa Blind, from Laurentian University's Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, are to present Tuesday on the topic "International Perspectives on Dementia and Aging in Indigenous Populations."The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and dementias has risen more than 18 per cent in Ontario in the last eight years, according to new research presented at the conference.Rates of dementia and Alzheimer's disease are a concern for indigenous populations in Canada, say the women. The prevalence of these illnesses increased so fast in this population, it has left health care providers and indigenous health services looking for ways to provide adequate, appropriate care.With that increase, it is recognized that education, training, services and programs must shift to meet the needs of indigenous people with Alzheimer's and their families.

by Darah Hansen Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: GlobeAndMail.com From the rise of social media campaigns such as #blacklivesmatter and #oscarssowhite to the anti-immigration rhetoric fuelling the Brexit and U.S. presidential campaigns, race has dominated conversations worldwide in 2016.Karl Aquino, the Richard Poon Professor of Organizations and Society at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, delves into that discussion with new research that seeks to identify some of the unconscious byproducts of bias.The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, focuses on the world of academia and, specifically, how the race and gender of scientists affect our perception of the credibility of their work.The research began as a personal journey. Dr. Aquino, who is Filipino-American, says he’s experienced first-hand the harsh judgment of others regarding his professional abilities – based on assumptions formed around his ethnicity.

by Wedaeli Chibelushi -Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: BusinessReviewCanada.com A poor advertising decision has backfired on Canada Oil Sands Community. A poster produced by the advocacy group featuring the lines “in Canada lesbians are considered hot! In Saudi Arabia if you’re a lesbian you die!” has been lambasted online.“Why are we getting our oil from countries that don’t think lesbians are hot?! Choose equality! Choose Canadian oil!”, the online poster continues. The Canada Oil Sands Community is a spinoff group seeking to advocate for the beleaguered industry on social media. It’s founder Robbie Picard has been left surprised by the backlash.“(We used) a random stock image, but the point was to draw attention to the bigger issue. I was surprised there was so much response to it,” he said.

by Terry HaigOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: CBC.caThis is the 38th edition of the parade, which had grown into a giant celebration of diversity and human rights, but the lead-up is not running smoothly.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to march, but so–as they have for 20 years–are the Vancouver police.That’s not sitting well with the Black Lives Matter movement, which temporarily stopped Toronto’s Pride parade earlier this month.Two weeks ago, Black Lives Matter Vancouver posted an open letter on its website saying it wanted the Vancouver police department to voluntarily withdraw from the parade because its involvement makes some communities feel unsafe.

by Michael Shulman Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: Yahoo.com A new study says that when companies slash jobs, it is often women and minorities who disproportionately get the axe.The research, which is published in the July/August edition of the Harvard Business Review, analyzed data from more than 800 U.S. companies spanning three decades and also used interviews with hundreds of managers and executives.It found that when firms downsize based on position, rather than the performance of individual workers, there is an immediate nine to 22 per cent drop among the ranks of white and Hispanic women, as well as Hispanic, black and Asian men on their management teams.The study also found that when companies laid off employees based off seniority, or the “last hired, first fired” method, they let go of nearly 19 per cent of white women in management and 14 per cent of Asian men.

by Emily Zak Originally publisher: July 25, 2016Publisher: CARE2.com The American Civil Liberties Union recently filed a complaint on behalf of Jesse Vroegh, a longtime nurse for the Iowa Department of Corrections who has faced discrimination because he is transgender.Not only was Vroegh restricted from using men’s bathrooms and locker rooms, but he was also denied health care coverage for treatments similar to what non-trans employees had covered.While Iowa is one of the 18 states that expressly protects against workplace discrimination for transgender employees, Vroegh’s situation reflects the rampant inequality that trans people still face — even when employed by the government.In theory, anti-trans discrimination shouldn’t be as much of a problem. In 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission specified that gender identity discrimination counts as sex discrimination.

by Georgene HuangOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: Forbes.com How do you increase the number of women in leadership within Corporate America? It seems that for all the diversity and inclusion initiatives and attention to the topic, progress has been elusive.In the S&P500, the number of female CEOs has stalled in 2016 at 23 (4.6%). And the percentage of women on boards of S&P500 companies was at 19% in 2014. Even when it comes to the rank-and-file numbers of women within businesses, certain companies seems to have barely moved. Facebook, Google and Twitter released their diversity statistics over the past two weeks and the results upset many commentators who had hoped for more improvement in the number of women and minority employees at these tech companies.

by Lucille Keen Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: AFR.com Millennials are feeling more technology stress than Generation Xers and Baby Boomers, a workplace survey has found.The Snapshot of Australian Workplaces, a national survey of 1000 workers, by human resource firm Reventure, found technology stress was impacting about 54 per cent of Millennial workers compared with 47 per cent of Gen X and 37 per cent of Baby Boomers.It found 65 per cent of workers agreed that the impact of new and emerging technologies is affecting the way their work was defined and accomplished.More than 40 per cent of workers are relying on technology to perform over 75 per cent of their work. Gen X claims the highest percentage of work done using technology.

by Allison Downey Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: FastCompany.com Returning to work after leave might be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your worth.You just had a baby and your employer just accommodated your maternity leave.As you head back to work, you feel grateful for your job, and committed to this next chapter in your professional life. But don’t let new motherhood leave you vulnerable; instead, let the responsibility of parenthood inspire you to get what you really deserve at work.Too many women stop negotiating for what they’re worth after they have a baby because they don’t want to rock the boat. "My employer gave me paid leave, or time off," a new mom might tell herself, "so this is not the time to ask for a raise, or more flexibility to work from home."

Thursday, July 28, 2016

by Tom StarnerOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: HRDrive.com Dive Brief:Employers are willing to try almost anything to solve workplace gender bias, and the latest new trend involves technology-driven apps and training programs to give diversity its due, according to SHRM.There is good evidence that diversity helps boost bottom lines. Unfortunately, managers may not even understand their own biases, so employers look to consultants, tech firms and other HR-related diversity solutions.For example, the article cites Blendoor, a San Francisco-based app that matches candidates to jobs based by leaving candidate photos and names out of the equation - a trick that causes recruiters to choose talent on merit alone.

by Genevieve DouglasOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: BNA.com Unconscious bias exists in big and small ways in many workplaces, but there are strategies HR can implement to ensure that each employment decision is fair, diversity practitioners told Bloomberg BNA July 20.Unconscious biases are prejudices people have but are unaware of. They may be based on skin color, gender, age, height, weight, introversion versus extroversion, marital and parental status, disability status, foreign accents or even where someone went to college.According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, if unconscious bias is rampant in a workplace, it can result in discriminatory treatment or practices, a flawed “meritocracy” system and a lack of workforce diversity.To prevent unconscious bias from playing out in the workplace, human resources departments should make sure the right people are making employment decisions and judgements, Peter Linkow, founder and chief executive of Wellesley, Mass.-based Lead Diversity, told Bloomberg BNA. If these decision makers are more diverse and more experienced, they make better judgements, he said.

by Jan Kühn Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: MeMeBurn.com A workplace development that’s gaining traction is the use of gamification as a means of monitoring and motivating workforce efficiency. Gaming principles in a non-gaming environment can alter how individuals, teams and managers interact with each other, and have some unusual applications, too.While gamification technology is very different to popular game Pokemon Go, the effect is just as interesting: motivating a primarily younger workforce likely to have grown up with console gaming by simulating a gaming environment at work so that they will relate to it.All across the US and other countries, millennials have surprised their communities by heading out to play the augmented reality game on their mobile devices, sometimes assembling en masse at a local spot to play the game. What’s most intriguing about this is that it is virally disrupting established lifestyle patterns, and without any marketing or advertising push.

by Rachel LubitzOriginally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: Mic.com It is 2016 and people are still super concerned about what women wear to work. We've seen it at Fox News, where you still can't bare your shoulders. If you're a female meteorologist, you can't wear anything clingy or cleavage-baring — and if you do, prepare for lots of sexist letters about it. Now, even if you just have a regular old office job, with cubicles and all, headscarves are problematic. June J Rivas learned this last week after her boss complained first about her wearing a ponytail to work, and then wearing a headscarf. "So my boss didn't like me wearing my hair in a ponytail every day ... nor my hair in a scarf ... nor my hair in pigtails," Rivas, who Mic has reached out to for comment, wrote on Facebook, in a post that has now been deleted.

by Michael Paulson Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: NYTimes.com Concern about a lack of diversity dominated the Oscars this year. Pride about an unusually diverse theater season permeated the Tonys in June.Now the issue has entangled an embryonic attempt by DreamWorks to adapt a popular animated film from 1998, “The Prince of Egypt,” into a stage musical.The issue erupted on social media over the weekend, after a nonprofit on Long Island, the Bay Street Theater, announced plans to hold a free concert performance of the developing show next month in a park in Sag Harbor, N.Y. The event will be the first time the full script and score have been heard by the public.

by Yijun Wang and Julia MarshOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: NYPost.com A Manhattan architect who designs for celebrities including Calvin Klein is trying to turn the tables on a former office manager who is suing him for racial discrimination — claiming the ex-staffer is anti-gay.Architect Peter Marino, who is accused of using the n-word at his Midtown office, says in a new filing that Deirdre O’Brien called a male co-worker “a big homo,” and used her work e-mail to send “explicit pornographic images.”

by Caroline O'DonovanOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: Buzzfeed.com Airbnb will co-host a civil rights event with BET at the Democratic National Convention, less than a week after hiring former US Attorney General Eric Holder to help fix the site’s racial discrimination problem.Airbnb — a company in the throes of a public crisis over racial discrimination — will co-host a press event and panel on civil rights with BET at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning, as it seeks to address an onslaught of criticism (and a lawsuit) charging that it has done too little to address housing discrimination on its platform.The event is intended to honor the efforts of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party during the 1964 Democratic National Convention, when it opposed the all-white Democratic delegation from Mississippi. It features Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, who recently portrayed civil rights era L.B.J. for HBO. It follows a presentation of new polling data “regarding the 2016 Presidential race and the sharing economy” from Uber strategy adviser (and former Obama administration campaign boss) David Plouffe, and Airbnb policy head (and former Clinton aide) Chris Lehane.Airbnb told BuzzFeed News the idea of co-hosting an event with BET has been in the works for seven months. A spokesperson for BET said “there is a lot of synergy between both companies” and said they’ve been discussing the idea since 2012. It’s opportune timing.

by Christopher Elliott Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: USAToday.com Do you suspect that your vacation rental owner may be discriminating against you? Travel Expert Christopher Elliott shares ways to hold them accountable for their behavior.The sharing economy discriminates. Don't believe me? Try renting a vacation home with young kids or a service animal.Or if you're black.Greg Selden knows what that's like. A talent agent from Richmond, Va., he says he recently asked about the availability of an Airbnb rental in Philadelphia, but the host told him it was already booked. Selden, who is African American, then created two fake accounts that featured photos of white people, and the accommodations became available.Selden is suing Airbnb for violating the Fair Housing Act and his civil rights. Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas says racial discrimination is "unacceptable and it flies in the face of our mission to bring people together." Last week, Airbnb hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to help it create an anti-discrimination policy.

by Aron Eades Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: IllinoisHomePage.netThe federal government is suing a furniture store for discrimination.The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says Rent-A-Center fired an employee because she's transgender. Now they're taking them to court for violating the Civil Rights Act. But Rent-A-Center says that's not the full story. They say the employee was fired because they violated company policy, but that doesn't line up with what the government found.The commission claims their pre-lawsuit investigation "revealed the company's managers disapproved of the employee's gender transition and found a pretext for firing her." They say that violates title seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.We reached out to the UP Center of Champaign county a service agency for the area's L.G.B.T. community. They say the government going to bat for transgender rights is a sign of changing times."I think it's long overdue. I think this has been happening for a very long time, and it's about time that the federal government has been able to one, recognize this, clarify it, be able to say 'we are going to support trans folks. Because it's very difficult as an individual person, to go and try to take your claim to someone and feel like you're gonna be heard. You need support."

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

by Jaweed Kalim Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: LAtimes.com When a white officer launched seven bullets into a black man outside a housing project here early this month, there were chants of “black lives matter” in the streets, accusations of racism, and demands for an investigation and answers.But unlike other police-involved deaths of black men across the country, the fatal shooting of Jai “Jerry” Williams on July 2 had no viral video. And instead of dividing a community between those who accept the police version of events and those who question it, Williams’ death has united residents in grief while opening wounds about race in this liberal Southern enclave.In Asheville, a majority-white city of 88,000 whose tourism board has touted it as a place where Americans can live life “any way you like it,” news of the shooting has gradually made its way through the community after being overshadowed by national events, shocking white residents into soul-searching and an identity crisis.

Publisher: ChicagoTribune.com ovie awards season that's shaping up to be about diversity will get a fitting kickoff at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.The early Oscar bellwether will feature a number of stories by and about underrepresented voices. Most notably that means women, with 7 of its 19 galas directed by female filmmakers, a festival record.Beginning Sept. 8, TIFF will also feature films by and about people of color. This includes the world premieres of “The Magnificent Seven,” Antoine’s Fuqua’s race-themed remake of the John Sturges classic that now stars Denzel Washington (and opens the festival); Mira Nair's Ugandan chess tale "Queen of Katwe" starring Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo; George Nolfi's "Birth of the Dragon," about the origins of Bruce Lee, and "Barry," Vikram Gandhi's look at the formative Columbia University years of Barack Obama.

by Brooks BarnesOriginally published: July 24, 2016Publisher: NewYorkTimes.com Every summer, Hollywood comes to Comic-Con International, the carnival-like pop culture convention here, to promote its coming mass-market movies. And the offerings usually have a numbing similarity.Macho directors — almost always white men — stride onto a stage and introduce footage of sparring superheroes, and then trot out cast members (again, mostly white) for some schmaltzy chitchat about loving their characters. Rinse and repeat.There was plenty of that kind of thing this year, too. But for the first time, studio presentations paid more than lip service to diversity.Marvel Studios started its Saturday session inside the San Diego Convention Center’s cavernous Hall H, which seats roughly 7,000 people, by bringing out Ryan Coogler, the director of the big-budget “Black Panther,” and his four black leads: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Danai Gurira. “This is my first time here,” a beaming Mr. Boseman told the crowd. “It feels amazing.”

by Mason Harrison Originally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: LouisianaWeekly.com Police tactics this summer have come under a microscope not seen since the early 1990s beating of Black motorist Rodney King in Los Angeles at the hands of four white police officers and the emergence of what would become the infamous recordings of Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman describing the wanton framing and beating of Black suspects. Both incidents squarely thrust race and policing into the national spotlight.Cassette tapes, first produced a decade earlier, revealed Fuhrman’s racial bias in policing as a witness in the murder trial investigation of former NFL player and actor O.J. Simpson. A videotape of the King beating birthed nationwide riots after the officers in the case were acquitted on charges brought by the district attorney’s office of excessive force.Two decades later media has become ubiquitous in the hands of civilians eager to record police misconduct filtered through a 24-hour news cycle that – once again – has thrust racial bias in policing onto a national stage that is increasingly hard to ignore, making its way into this year’s presidential politics and into the ire of violent Black activists, one of whom shot and killed three Baton Rouge police officers in an ambush assault.

by Ted Simmons
Originally published: July 26, 2016
Publisher: HollywoodReporter.com

The actress used the fan hate she faced playing Skyler White in 'Breaking Bad' as a platform for her role as an investment banker.

In Equity, Anna Gunn plays Naomi Bishop, an investment banker who dodges and fights against some of the same gender-based discrimination and disadvantages that Gunn herself wrote about in a 2013 essay titled “I Have Character Issues.” As part of a Hollywood Reporter co-hosted panel after a screening of the film at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York City, Gunn referenced that piece, the mean-spirited rhetoric she encountered for playing Skyler White on Breaking Bad and the concern that she would attract more for addressing it.

“I thought, ‘You know what, bring it on,' because I had gone through that ring of fire and learned something that was very valuable, which is that I’m going to continue to take it on, and I was lucky enough to get this role and embody this struggle that is very common to so many women.” she said.

by Mark A. Hofman Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: BusinessInsurance.com In a survey conducted in conjunction with the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s 2016 Women in Insurance Conference Series last month, more than four out of five women say the industry is making progress toward gender equality.When asked whether they agreed with the statement “strides to achieve gender equality are being made in the insurance industry today,” 12% of the 383 participants responding said they “strongly” agreed and 74% said they “somewhat” agreed. Only 1% said they “strongly” disagreed.In a statement announcing the results, the Los Angeles-based IICF said that the figures “represent a significant jump” from 2015’s results, when 72% of attendees agreed that strides were being made to achieve gender equality.

by Ken Howard Originally published: July 22, 2016Publisher: HuffingtonPost.com The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (of which I was a member for a number of years in the ‘90s) sings a song in its permanent repertoire called “Diversity,” singing about how the gay men in the chorus come from many different states and many different occupations, and our “diversity makes us strong.” I was thinking of that theme recently, especially in the wake of the Orlando massacre, and the subsequent flurry of news items and essays. With the current bitter, heated, atomically-divisive election season in the United States right now, one thing (of the many) that frustrates me is that some bigoted Americans really fail to see the beauty in the diversity we find in the American people. Come to think of it, that whole concept of “diversity” is a good thing, applied to so many considerations. Here are some to think about, embrace, and celebrate, for how diversity can contribute to your quality of life:Populations – In the history of the United States, as a country, we have always benefited from diversity, as represented from the various immigration patterns. This is represented in language, dress, food, customs, and values. Think of the English and Irish who settled New England and Jamestown, Virginia. Think of the Jews, Italians, and Puerto Ricans of New York. Think of the Germans in the Midwest. Think of the Cubans and other Latinos in Miami. Think of the Mexicans, Native Americans, and Asians in the West. Think of the Chinese who built the railroads. There are just so many places in America where the mark of their major immigration group is sensed everywhere. Ever had good pizza in New York City? Ever had good Mexican food in Los Angeles? Ever had Texas barbecue? Ever had Southern cooking? And that’s just the food. Think of the traditions, language influence, values, and skills represented. Without this diversity of historical settlement, our country would be just plain “poorer” overall.

by Sarah ScolesOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: Wired.com JEREMEY YODER CAME out as gay while he was a graduate student in evolutionary biology. After he did, colleagues would often ask him if LGBTQ people were underrepresented in science. He honestly didn’t know. “One night I was digging around on Google Scholar for research that could address this question, and not finding much,” he says. But like a true scientist, he realized that he could find most of his answers by gathering his own data. A survey.He sent a text message to Allison Mattheis, a friend and professor at California State University, Los Angeles. She knew more about surveys than he did. “It said something along the lines of ‘If I wanted to do an online survey of queer folks in STEM, how would I do that?’” Mattheis says. “And I wrote back something like ‘Are you asking me to introduce you to the world of the Institutional Review Board and doing research with humans? Sure, you can do this!’”Within a week, they had registered their domain: queerstem.org.

by Gabriel PhillipsOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: ManagementToday.co.uk In one of Jeremy Corbyn's latest mea culpa moments, he called for small firms to report their gender pay gaps, claiming that women were overrepresented in the lowest paying jobs.You first, came the unsurprising response.Corbyn refused. Curiosity piqued, The Times then obtained and published the figures, revealing that men occupied all the senior roles in Corbyn's team while women were relegated to the lowest paid positions. Oh dear.Here it seemed was yet another example of someone paying lip service to equality, without themselves acting in a meaningful way to bring it about.Hypocrisy starts at homeDiversity problems are hardly limited to politics, of course. Business has its own share of embarrassing stats and stories.Take our supposedly enlightened cousins in Silicon Valley. Facebook and Twitter are happy to talk about the importance of diversity, but only 16% and 13% of their tech roles respectively are occupied by women.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

by Julie Compton Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: NBCnews.com Five mornings a week, Jesse Lueck gets out of bed, does her hair and puts on a suit and tie. It's her typical routine before heading to work. Wearing masculine clothes makes her feel powerful."When I put these clothes on, I feel like I am super confident and just look great. I look in the mirror. I turn left, I turn right," Lueck told NBC OUT.The 33-year-old is a senior project management specialist for a large financial company in New Jersey. She identifies as gender nonconforming and has worn a suit and tie nearly every day since she started her job more than 10 years ago. She's challenging gender norms in an industry where few people dare to.

by Sunni Kahlid Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: TheUndefeated.com League now has only black commissioner in any major sport.African-Americans have come to dominate the National Football League since a “gentleman’s agreement” by white owners ended in 1946. In recent years, black quarterbacks such as Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Carolina’s Cam Newton have become stars in a league that would have shunned them as much for mobility and athleticism as much as their skin color a generation ago.African-Americans such as Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, Lovie Smith and others have become head coaches, while others have become offensive and defensive coordinators, and even general managers, as the NFL has embraced racial diversity in the executive ranks.But despite these accomplishments, the NFL continues to lag behind its neighboring league to the north, the Canadian Football League, which has a 60-year legacy of offering greater opportunities, both on the field and off, to African-Americans, who crossed the border to escape racial discrimination at home. The gap between opportunities offered to African-Americans between the two leagues can’t just be measured in dollars or miles, but, in some cases, decades.

by April Simpson Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: Current.org The editorial workforce at NPR comes pretty close to presenting a snapshot of America. For the past three years at NPR, whites have represented about 77 percent of the overall editorial workforce, although their numbers have increased. The other 23 percent self-identified as black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or two or more races. Out of 50 newsroom managers, 18 are diverse, or 36 percent. Taken together, NPR workforce diversity generally reflects the U.S. Census.“Just as we desire to sound like America in our journalism and in our broadcasting programs, we really think it’s important to think like America in our leaders,” said Michael Oreskes, NPR senior v.p. of news. “I think you can see from the numbers, in some overall way, we aren’t doing badly, but clearly there’s a lot more work to do at several levels.”

Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: OttawaCitizen.com The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is struggling to fill its ranks with new recruits, so it will now allow permanent residents to join the force, while doing away with some of the testing that had previously been in place. The force, according to documents received by the National Post under access to information, anticipated that there would be blowback about whether or not this hurt the image of the force, making it seem less Canadian.What’s clear is that there are pressures that make this move necessary; fewer young Canadians want to become police officers. And the RCMP can be a hard sell – moving across the country on placements isn’t appealing to everyone.More critically, though, are the cultural issues within the force that might drive away recruits, including allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, that have led to two reviews of the force. Nobody wants to work in that sort of environment, so job No. 1 ought not to be broadening the pool of applicants, but rather making the RCMP the sort of organization in which people want to work..

by Jamshid AlamutiOriginally published: July 25, 2016Published: CreativeReview.co.uk The case for diversity goes beyond fairness: diverse workforces can result in better work and results. So why, asks Jamshid Alamuti of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, do so few organisations concentrate on it.Once again on the road, with my faculty director Dr David Slocum. We’re in Barcelona this time, running a two-day creative leadership programme for the Art Directors Club of Europe. It’s a great group, over 30 creatives from all over place. David and I, having just finished the first day, are in a magnificent-looking tapas bar, and are discussing the high level of energy in the class. David believes it has mainly to do with the diverse group we’re serving. I look at our table, being overloaded with all these different little bowls and dishes, a colourful explosion of so many different tastes and flavour. Diverse indeed.limited to genderSome 50 years ago, the business case for ‘diversity’ within the workplace was born as organisations were urged to consider and respect equal opportunity employment objectives. Since then the word ‘diversity’ has often been limited to gender. This however made companies forget about the incomparable power of diversity. Anyone who’s been using intelligent sourcing as one of their leadership tools knows that only a diverse group can provide a wide range of skills and abilities to work and play with. In this case, we are talking about a lot more than just gender. Age, culture, race, religion, or even opposing characteristics such as introverts and extroverts, emotional and factual and much more enriches the field of diversity.

by President Barack ObamaOriginally published: July 26, 2016Publisher: WhiteHouse.gov PROCLAMATIONOn July 26, 1990, our Nation marked a pivotal moment in history for Americans with disabilities. Fueled by a chorus of voices who refused to accept a second-class status and driven by a movement that recognized that our country is stronger and more vibrant when we draw on the talents of all our people, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enshrined into law the notion that Americans living with disabilities deserve to participate in our society free from discrimination. Twenty-six years later, as we mark this anniversary, we recognize all this milestone law has made possible for the disability community.The ADA sought to guarantee that the places we share -- from schools and workplaces to stadiums and parks -- truly belong to everyone. It reflects our Nation's full commitment to the rights and independence of people with disabilities, and it has paved the way for a more inclusive and equal society. For the 6.5 million students and the approximately 50 million adults living with mental or physical disabilities, the ADA has swung open doors and empowered each of them to make of their lives what they will.Building on this progress is a priority for my Administration. The Federal Government has taken the lead in creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In my first term, I issued an Executive Order that called on Federal agencies and contractors to hire more people with disabilities -- and today, more Americans with disabilities are working in Federal service than at any time in the last three decades. My Administration has vigorously enforced the Supreme Court's ruling in the Olmstead decision -- which determined that, under the ADA, people with disabilities cannot be unnecessarily segregated -- and worked to deliver on the promise that individuals with disabilities have access to integrated, community-based services. The Affordable Care Act affirmed that Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance, and this year, we made it clear that health care providers must offer reasonable accommodations and ensure effective communication for individuals with disabilities in order to advance health equity and reduce health care disparities.As we commemorate this progress, we know our work to expand opportunity and confront the stigma that persists surrounding disabilities is not yet finished: We have to address the injustices that linger and remove the barriers that remain. Too many people with disabilities are still unemployed and lack access to skills training or are not paid fairly for their work. We must continue increasing graduation rates for students with disabilities to give them every chance to receive the education and training they need to pursue their dreams. We must make the information and communication technologies we rely on accessible for all people, and ensure their needs are considered and incorporated as we advance the tools of modern life. And we must keep fighting for more consistent and effective enforcement of the ADA in order to prevent discrimination in public services and accommodations.At a time when so many doubted that people with disabilities could contribute to our economy or support their families, the ADA assumed they could, and guided the way forward. Today, as we reflect on the courage and commitment of all who made this achievement possible, let us renew our obligation to extend the promise of the American dream to all our people, and let us recommit to building a world free of unnecessary barriers and full of deeper understanding of those living with disabilities.NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 26, 2016, the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I encourage Americans across our Nation to celebrate the 26th anniversary of this civil rights law and the many contributions of individuals with disabilities.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.

by Aftab Ali Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: Independent.co.uk Findings come shortly after half the country's top graduate employers say they'll be forced to slash recruitment intake post-BrexitWomen have more of a chance of doing well in the graduate job market than men, but not enough are applying, according to a new report.Despite women making up 54 per cent of the student population, only 47 per cent apply to graduate schemes, the Association of Graduate Recruiters’ (AGR) findings into diversity and inclusion show.“We still have a long way to go, but as we continue to strive for greater change, we are encouraged by positive hiring trends,” Williams said. “Diversity comes in many forms, and we want to take a moment to highlight the vibrant LGBTQ community here at Facebook.”

by Frank Carber Originally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: MetroWeekly.com Earlier this month Facebook released their workplace diversity statistical report and have now started to include LGBTQ identities in their measures. Of the 61% of employees who responded, 7% identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or asexual.Facebook also evaluated their staff along the more traditional metrics, including gender and race. They found that, overall, more than twice as many men work for the company than women and the gap widens when looking specifically at tech jobs, with 83% filled by men. Racial diversity also appears to be scarce in tech positions, as 52% of employees are white, 38% are Asian, 4% are Hispanic, and 2% are Black.Facebook has come under criticism before for their lack of diversity, with many arguing that the company isn’t doing enough to find qualified talent. Facebook’s latest initiative to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their measure of diversity will hopefully open the door for greater representation of LGBTQ individuals in the workplace.

by Joe Berkowitz Originally published: July 22, 2016Publisher: FastCompany.com

It was like a tiny drizzle before the downpour.First, John Cho got a text from a friend asking whether he'd checked Twitter yet that day. Then he got another, and another. Suddenly, it was a full-on typhoon of texts and tweets that turned his phone into a malfunctioning buzzer. By then, he'd already seen what everyone was messaging him about.A digital strategist named William Yu had begun flooding Twitter with movie posters featuring Cho seamlessly photoshopped into juicy leading roles. #StarringJohnCho depicted a parallel universe where the actor who plays Sulu in the rebooted Star Trek series also anchored romantic comedies, Marvel movies, and maybe even the James Bond franchise—despite the apparent Hollywood handicap of being Asian. The hashtag was trending, and it was about to ride a cresting wave of unrest on behalf of Asian-Americans into further awareness.

Monday, July 25, 2016

by Cale Guthrie Weissmann Originally published: July 22, 2016Publisher: FastCompany.com Silicon Valley is a world of mirrors and myths. Every company has a creation story; most have an eccentric leader; some have had entire books written about them. The most pervasive myth out there, however, is technology's egalitarian ethos. If you are a smart coder, passionate worker, and innovative thinker, you will go far in the world of technology, or so they say.In reality, that’s not true. Talented people are left behind every day, many simply because they don’t have the same kind of access as Ivy League brogramers. Over the last few years there’s been an increased campaign to bring more diversity to the tech scene, and it’s gotten press and caused some companies to change their policies. The change, however, is still incremental.A great deal of this cultural shift is thanks to advocacy groups speaking out for underrepresented demographics. Many of the organizations have been around for years—nearly decades—with the sole intent of helping people get better representation in the technology sector. Even with increased awareness, these groups are still fighting to be heard.

by Scott Monette Originally published: July 21, 2016Publisher: FastCompany.com Less than a fifth of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are employed, but business leaders can help change that.Everyone deserves a chance to succeed. And by my estimation, no group has been refused that opportunity more than people living with disabilities (PLWD). Sadly, less than one-fifth of this population is employed.Even though I’ve made expanding opportunities for PLWD my life’s work, I nearly denied my first PLWD hire, Andrew, a fair shake. My company sells wine and donates all profits to nonprofits, so we host tastings at grocery and liquor stores. Now one of my top employees, Andrew began his first tasting in 2015 like a pushy car salesman.Within minutes, I was reconsidering my hire, anxiously coaching him between interactions. And something happened that, in hindsight, I should've expected: Andrew listened to me, improving his approach with each customer. After all, nobody gets a new job right on the first shot. By tasting’s end, customers were lining up to speak with Andrew. We wound up selling twice our normal volume that day.

by Karen Ocamb Originally published: July 22, 2016Publisher: thePRIDELA.com Much of America shed tears of joy last May when hunky, sexually fluid “America’s Next Top Model” winner Nyle DiMarco—who is deaf—won “Dancing with The Stars.” How could he dance if he couldn’t hear the music? DiMarco’s personality, tenacity, hard work and determination to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles provided an inspiring symbol of success only a few would have even dared imagine.But the DWTS contestant went one step further—performing the first-ever, riveting same-sex dance on the popular ABC show, illuminating an intersection between the LGBT and disability communities that is longer and deeper than many realize. Indeed, developing not only a bridge between the two siloed rights movements but a bond based on commonalities could lead to the lessening of societal stigma, greater efforts at suicide prevention and an expansion of workplace possibilities for both during these difficult political times.The intersection and connection between the LGBT and disability rights movements was a key point addressed at a Netroots Nationpanel on July 13. LGBT legal icon Chai Feldblum, the first openly lesbian commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), moderated the panel with Rebecca Cokley, executive director of the National Council on Disability,Shannon Price Minter, transgender legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and Anupa Iyer, attorney and advocate for people with psychiatric disabilities.

by Azizi AhmedOriginally published: July 23, 2016Publisher: NST.com EVERY workplace consists of people from different cultural, religious or social backgrounds. These differences may give rise to discrimination, regardless of the laws and regulations that prevent it from happening. Discrimination in the workplace occurs in different forms, based on characteristics such as age, gender, race, marital status or ethnic background. Discrimination is prejudicial treatment towards a person because of a group they are a part of. Recognising the types of workplace discrimination will enable one to identify discrimination.Discrimination based on race or country of origin usually occurs in the form of harassment at the workplace, while sex-based discrimination takes on many forms at work. Sexual harassment is one of the most obvious forms and may include unwanted sexual advances, propositions or crude remarks towards an employee.

by Helen Pike Originally published: July 21, 2016Publisher: Metronews.caA notice of motion coming to City Hall on Monday will ask administration to change signs on single stall washrooms from gendered to gender-neutral.There’s no stalling when it comes to progress at the city.A hot and urgent topic in many municipalities comes down to the sign on bathroom doors – and Brian Pincott doesn’t want to skirt around the issue. In a notice of motion coming before councillors on Monday, he’s proposing all of the city’s “single occupancy” washrooms get re-signed to be gender neutral.“We need to develop a policy that on future City of Calgary buildings, purchased or renovated, we have a policy in place so we include gender neutral washrooms,” said Pincott.He consulted with the city’s LGBTQ community and asked where the city could be more inclusive, and without hesitation the response was: washrooms.

by Ratna BhushanOriginally published: July 25, 2016Publisher: Economictimes.indiatimes.comAre women better to trust your money with? Well, an increasing number of companies seem to think so, going by a recent spurt in women taking over key finance roles in firms across sectors. When Coca-Cola announced Sarvita Sethi as its first woman finance head last week, it reinforced a new trend among big corporations including Hindustan Unilever, PepsiCo, Puma, Aditya Birla Group, Vedanta, Castrol and EMC. "There is an ask now for women at top financial jobs," said Uday Chawla, managing partner at executive search firm Transearch. He said over the last few years his company for the first time has had mandates from multinationals preferring women candidates for finance roles at the CXO level. "Women leaders bring diversity of thought and approach which helps to embrace new ways of working," said PB Balaji, executive director for finance at Hindustan Unilever that has three women in key finance leadership roles.

by Esther CepedaOriginally published: July 23, 2016Publisher: BradfordEra.com here is near-universal agreement that Silicon Valley needs more diversity.Attaining it is usually thought of as a numbers game in which organizations try to get the percentage of their non-white staff to reflect that of the U.S. population. The reason usually cited for the need to diversify is the "business case." The thinking goes that diverse backgrounds make for better products, services and innovations.

In a recent Harvard Business Review post, "We're Making the Wrong Case for Diversity in Silicon Valley," diversity consultant Todd L. Pittinsky challenges this assumption.

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